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10/09/2007: "The Inconvenient Science of Racial DNA Profiling"

Based on an FBI profile and a confident eyewitness, the Multi-Agency Homicide Task Force futilely upended South Louisiana in search of a young white man who drove a white pick-up truck. They interrogated possible suspects, knocked on hundreds of doors, held frequent press conferences and sorted through thousands of tips.

In early March, 2003, investigators turned to Tony Frudakis, a molecular biologist who said he could determine the killer’s race by analyzing his DNA. They were unsure about the science, so, before giving him the go-ahead, the task force sent Frudakis DNA swabs taken from 20 people whose race they knew and asked him to determine their races through blind testing. He nailed every single one.

“Your guy has substantial African ancestry,” said Frudakis. “He could be Afro-Caribbean or African American but there is no chance that this is a Caucasian. No chance at all.” There was a prolonged, stunned silence. The task force followed Frudakis’ advice and, two months later, the killer was in custody.

[ I heard from our media that race is a social construct, that race doesn't exist, that only ignorant people believe in race, that race isn't science, that we shouldn't think about race, that even considering race to exist is racist. Yet science proves them all wrong. Why would they tell us something they knew was wrong? ]

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2007/10/dnaprint